Butter Honey Blueberry Muffins

Butter Honey Blueberry Muffins
From Anita Stewart's Canada: The Food/The Recipes/The Stories

Printable Recipe

Prep time: 10 minutes
Baking time: 20-25 minutes
Makes 12

Ingredients:
¼ cup butter, softened
½ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup liquid honey
1 egg
1 ½ cups cake & pastry flour (or if you don’t have any on hand, just pulse you all purpose flour in the food processor a few times)
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
½ cup buttermilk (and if you don’t have that on hand…1/2 cup milk plus 1 tbsp lemon juice and wait 5 minutes)
1 ½ cups wild blueberries (my preference, but cultivated blueberries work just fine)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400°F/200°C and prepare muffin tins, either line with muffin papers or spray with Mazola Simplicity or PAM for easier cleaning.

2. Meanwhile in a large bowl, whip the butter, sugar and honey until well blended. Add the egg and beat until light in colour.

3. In a separate bowl combine the flour, baking powder and salt.

4. Combine with the butter honey mixture, and add the flour and buttermilk alternating between the two until you have a well blended batter. Gently fold the blueberries into the batter and spoon into the muffin tins. I use an ice cream scoop. It’s clean, easy and most important…all the muffins have equal amounts of batter.

5. Place in the preheated oven and lower the temperature to 375°F/190°C and bake for 20-30 minutes depending on you oven and the size of your muffins. They’re done when the tops are golden and a toothpick comes out clean (unless of course you’ve stabbed a blueberry)

Slow Cooker Sunday Pot Roast

Slow Cooker Sunday Roast
From Slow Cooker Comfort Food

Printable Recipe

Hands-on time: 40 minutes
Total Cooking time: 6 hours
Serves 6

Ingredients:
2 tbsp olive oil
1 beef pot roast about 4lb/2kg, patted dry (I used inside round)
2 large onions, thinly sliced (the book said on the vertical, but I guess I didn’t read that part – oh well, still delicious)
2 large or (I used 6 small fresh from the market) carrots, peeled and diced
8oz/225g cremini mushrooms, quartered
2 stalks celery, diced
4 large cloves garlic, minced or finely chopped (they seem to melt in the slow cooking process anyway)
1 tsp each salt & cracked black peppercorns
1 tsp dried thyme leaves
¼ cup all purpose flour
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 cup dry red wine
1 cup beef stock
10 small new potatoes, skin on parboiled and quartered (the book also suggests steamed potatoes with parsley butter on the side as an option)
2 tbsp steak sauce (optional, and I didn’t bother, the gravy was so tasty without it)
¼ cup chopped parsley (which naturally, I forgot)

Directions:
1. In a large heavy bottomed skillet, heat some of the olive oil over medium high heat and sear the roast on all sides. This takes about 8-10 minutes. Transfer the roast to the slow cooker stoneware.

2. Using the same skillet, add a little more olive oil and add onions, carrots, celery and cook, stirring frequently until the vegetables are soft (about 8 minutes). Add the garlic, salt, peppercorns, and thyme, toss and continue to cook for 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Stir in the flour and tomato paste, stir and cook for another minute or so. Add the wine and bring to a boil (the mixture will be very thick). Cook for 2 minutes or so, scraping any brown bits at the bottom of the pan. Add the stock and return to a boil.

3. Transfer the vegetables and sauce to the slow cooker.

4. In the meantime, I parboiled small new potatoes in their skins for about 5 minutes, drained them and cut them into quarters and added them to the slow cooker as well. Another option is to boil potatoes about 15 minutes or so before you are ready to serve the roast and then season them with salt, pepper and parsley butter.
5. Back to the skillet, add a little more olive oil and sauté the mushrooms until golden (3-5 minutes). Add the mushrooms to the slow cooker and toss with all the other vegetables and gravy, keeping them around the roast.

6. Cover with lid and cook on LOW for 6 hours or until done. The book says 8-10 hours on low or 4-5 hours on HIGH. But after 5 hours, my meat thermometer read that it was already very well done.

7. Carve the roast just before serving.

Serve the sliced roast with vegetables on the side or spoon the vegetables and gravy over top of the slices. Sprinkle with parsley before serving - if you remember.

Pakistani Chickpea & Rice Pilaf - Chana Pulao

Pakistani Chickpea & Rice Pilaf – Chana Pulao
From Curry Cuisine

Printable Recipe

Rice-soaking time: 1-2 hours
Prep time: 10 minutes
Total Cooking Time: 45-80 minutes

Serves 4-6 (Ruth’s note: I used brown basmati which is why there’s such a time discrepancy and less rice than called for with lots of leftovers – my quantities are in brackets)

Ingredients:
1 ¼ lb/500g basmati rice (I used 1 cup brown long grain rice)
½ cup sunflower oil (I used 2 tbsp grape seed oil)
1 large onion, very thinly sliced
1 tsp fresh gingerroot, thinly sliced and slivered
3 cinnamon sticks (I used only 2 since I used much less rice)
1 tsp black peppercorns
1 tsp cumin seeds
3 cardamom pods (I used 2)
Salt to taste
4oz/115g dried chickpeas, soaked overnight & cooked until tender or (my choice) 1 tin (14oz/400g) chickpeas, drained
Fried Brown Onion Garnish: (for my smaller dish, I just set some of the fried onion slices from the recipe aside for garnish)
2 tbsp sunflower oil
1 large onion, thinly sliced

Directions:
Rice soaking:
Thoroughly wash rice in cold running water. Soak in a bowl with enough water to cover for at least one hour. Drain.
Pilao
1. Heat the oil over medium high heat, in a medium to large saucepan, add the onions and fry until golden brown. ( I set some aside for garnish) Add the ginger, spices and salt to taste stir for a minute or until you can smell the wonderful aromas. Add 3 cups of water (I only added 2 cups because I only used 1 cup of rice) and bring to a boil. Add the soaked, drained rice, chickpeas and cover the pot. Reduce heat to low and simmer for about 15 minutes (the rice should be 90 per cent cooked – brown rice takes a little longer).

2. Dampen a clean, thick dishtowel with water. Remove the lid from the saucepan. Cover with cloth and put the lid back on tightly. Set the heat to very low. Cook for 25-30 minutes. (If you’re using brown rice, it might need a little more time).

I served it with Pakistani Lamb & Tomato Curry.

Pakistani Lamb & Tomato Curry - Tamatar Gosht

Pakistani Lamb & Tomato Curry - Tamatar Gosht
From Curry Cuisine

Printable Recipe

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 45-60 minutes

Serves 4 (Ruth’s note: I used 2 lbs/1kg of lamb but kept the rest of the ingredients as the book suggested. This is a mild but flavorful curry and quite different to the Indian curries I’m used to)

Ingredients:
¼ cup sunflower oil (I used grapeseed oil)
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 tbsp grated ginger (the book called for 1 tsp ginger paste)
1 large garlic clove, minced (the book called for ½ tsp garlic paste)
1 tin (28oz/546ml) diced fire roasted tomatoes with juice (the book called for 1 ¼ lb/500g of fresh tomatoes, peeled and chopped)
2 tsp red chili powder (I doubled the book’s recommendation and it was still mild)
1 tsp cumin seeds
3 cardamom pods
5 cloves
1 bay leaf
3lb/1 kg lamb shoulder, cut into cubes (Ruth’s note: small cubes mean less cooking time)
1 cup water
¼ cup chopped cilantro leaves
Garnish
Slivers of fresh ginger root
Chopped green chilies

Directions:
1. Heat the oil over medium high heat, in a large saucepan (I actually used my Dutch oven), add the onions and fry until slightly browned. Add the ginger and garlic mince/paste and stir for a minute or until the wonderful aromas waft the air. Add the tomatoes, a pinch of salt, chili powder, cumin, cardamom pods, cloves and bay leaf. Stir until the oil separates out (Ruth’s note: I never noticed much separation, but I did cook for about 15 minutes.)

2. Add the lamb and fry, stirring frequently for 5 minutes. (Ruth’s note: I was skeptical that there was no searing, but the end result was very tender, very tasty). Pour in 1 cup of water, stir well and cover. Reduce the heat to medium low and cook for 45-60 minutes or until the lamb is cooked and tender.

3. Remove the lid and keep cooking gently, stirring occasionally until the oil separates out. Stir in the chopped cilantro leaves. Garnish with ginger and green chilies, if you like more heat) and serve.

I served it with Chana Pulao – Chickpea & Rice Pilaf.

Grilled Shrimp in Garlic Wine Marinade with Peanut Sauce

Grilled Shrimp in Garlic Wine Marinade with Peanut Sauce
Adapted from 300 Big and Bold Barbecue and Grilling Recipes

Printable Recipe

Note for those with peanut allergies...this is very tasty on its own...no sauce required, just delicious if you can.

Prep time: 20 minutes
Marinating time: 1-2 hours
Cooking time: 5 minutes

Serves 2-4

Ingredients:
1 lb/450g large shrimp, shelled & deveined
Garlic Wine Marinade:
¼ cup unsalted butter
2 large scallions/green onions, white & green parts thinly sliced
1 large clove garlic, minced
½ cup dry white wine
1 tbsp Italian/flat leaf parsley, chopped
Grated zest & juice of half a lemon
Zesty Peanut Sauce:
1 ½ tbsp unsalted butter
1 small onion, finely chopped
¾ cup peanut butter
½ cup chicken stock
½ tbsp brown sugar, packed
½ tbsp lemon juice
¼ tsp kosher salt
¼ tsp red chili pepper flakes (or as much as your taste buds tell you is hot enough)

Directions:
Marinade:
1. In a saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Sauté the green onions and garlic until the onions are softened (about 2-3 minutes). Stir in the wine, parsley, lemon zest and juice. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.

2. Once the marinade is completely cool, transfer to a glass or plastic container and add the shrimp. Toss and refrigerate for 1-2 hours. This will actually “cook” the shrimp somewhat, so I prefer to marinate for only 1 hour.

Sauce:
1. In a saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Sauté the onions until softened (3-4 minutes). Stir in the peanut butter, mix well and then add chicken stock, brown sugar, lemon juice, salt and chili pepper flakes. Simmer for about 10 -15 minutes, stirring frequently. If the sauce is too thick, add water, a little at a time to thin. Remove from heat and set aside.

Grilling Shrimp:
1. Heat your grill or grill pan. It should be very hot

2. Remove the shrimp from the marinade. Arrange shrimp on a grill rack or grill pan, grilling from 1-3 minutes depending on the size of the shrimp. They are ready to turn when they are pink on the side closest to the heat. They are ready when pink on the outside and slightly opaque within.

These are great as an appetizer or part of a buffet if cooked on pre-soaked skewers with the peanut sauce on the side for dipping.

I did something quite different. I boiled the marinade for several minutes, tossed it with cooked pasta and topped that with the grilled shrimp. I even added a few heaping spoonfuls of the peanut sauce and tossed everything together before serving.

Salmon Paneer Cakes

Salmon Paneer Cakes
From Everyday Indian

Printable Recipe

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 8-10 minutes
Makes 6-8 cakes/patties

Ingredients: :
1 can (6oz/170g) salmon, drained (I ran out and used a tin of crab meat, drained and squeezed dry – delious, think I’ll try this with chopped cooked shrimps too)
¾ cup paneer (the author makes her own, but I bought mine)
¼ cup plain yoghurt (I used goat yoghurt this time)
¼ cup red onion, finely chopped
¼ cup chickpea flour
1 tsp garam masala
½ tsp salt
1 tsp dried fenugreek leaves*
1 tsp Chana masala*
1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated*
(*optional in the book, but a must in my house)

2 tbsp grapeseed oil for frying

Directions: :
1. Combine everything except the oil in a bowl, mixing well to blend all the spices.

2. Form into 6-8 patties.

2. Heat the oil, in a non-stick, heavy-bottom large skillet over medium heat. (You really don’t need much) Add the cakes/patties and cook for 2-3 minutes until the underside is golden. Flip and continue to cook for another few minutes until golden on the bottom.

3. Drain on paper towels (although there shouldn’t be much oil)

Great served as an appetizer - delicious hot or cold

Curried Spaghetti Sauce

Curried Spaghetti Sauce
From Everyday Indian

Printable Recipe

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Serves 4

This dish is very mild, so you might want to add some heat to it.

Ingredients: :
2 tbsp grapeseed oil
¼ cup dried curry leaves (usually found in Indian specialty stores)
1 tbsp mustard seed
2 tbsp garlic, minced
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tbsp ground coriander
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
½ tsp salt
2 cups crushed (or diced) tomatoes (14oz/413ml can)
¼ cup red wine
½ cup water

Pasta of your choice – this time I used whole wheat spaghettini (My Honey would have preferred penne or some other smaller, tubular type to sop of more of the sauce)

Directions: :
1. Bring a large pot of water to boil.

2. Heat the oil, curry leaves, and mustard seed in a non-stick, heavy-bottom large skillet over medium heat. Cook for 10-15 seconds (until the mustard seeds begin to pop). Add the garlic, tomato paste, cumin, coriander, oregano, basil and salt and cook for 2-3 minutes (until the aroma makes you swoon – it’s that lovely).

3. Stir in the tomatoes, wine and water and lower the heat to medium low. Cook for 15 minutes.

4. In the meantime, read the cooking directions on the pasta package and time yourself so that the pasta is ready when the sauce is. I usually just start the pasta after 5 minutes or so of the sauce simmering away.

5. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the al dente pasta to the skillet and toss. The small amount of cooking water will just add to the silkiness of the sauce.

Grilled Salmon with Mango Salsa

Grilled Salmon with Mango Salsa
From Everyday Indian

Printable Recipe

Prep time: 5 minutes
Grill time: 15 minutes
Serves 4

Ingredients:
Salsa:
½ mango, finely chopped
2 tbsp mango juice
1 tbsp fresh cilantro, finely chopped
1 tbsp red onion, finely chopped
½ tsp fennel seeds, lightly toasted
¼ tsp salt
½ -1 jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped (optional)

Salmon:
4 individual salmon fillets, skin on
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp sambar powder
½ tsp garam massala
¼ tsp salt

Directions:
Salsa:
1. Combine all the salsa ingredients in a non-reactive bowl and let sit while the salmon is grilling.

Salmon:
1. In a small bowl, combine the sambar, garam massala and salt. Gently rub the salmon with the olive oil and then season with spice mix.

2. Prepare the BBQ (or in my case, the Griddler or grill pan on the stove) – to high heat. I started with the flesh side down for just 2-3 minutes and then flipped to do most of the cooking skin side down (I love crispy salmon skin).

3. Transfer the grilled salmon to plates and top with salsa.

Great served with rice and some veggie…or just eat it as it is as an appetizer or light meal.

Sausage & Mushroom Scoobi Doo Pasta

Spicy Sausage & Mushroom Scoobi Doo Pasta
Mostly from Jamie' Ministry of Food "Pass It On"

Printable Recipe

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes

Serves: 2

Ingredients:
2 heaped teaspoons fennel seeds (naturally, I THOUGHT I had some, oh well, I did use 1 heaping tsp of ground fennel seeds instead)
½ dried red pepper, crumbled (again, mine was sort of soft, so I thinly sliced it)
olive oil
21oz/600g good-quality coarse Italian sausages ( I used my local Italian market’s own sweet fennel sausages)
½ lb/225g mushrooms, thickly sliced (I like cremini)
1 tablespoon dried oregano
6oz or so white wine
zest and juice of 1 lemon
6oz/170g multigrain scoobi doo pasta (or fusilli, penne, farfalle)
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
a handful of freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving (and once more, I ran out, so I had some pre-grated Asiago – worked just fine)
a small bunch of fresh flat-leaf parsley, leaves picked and chopped

Directions:
1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Remove the sausage meat from the casings and crumble into the hot pan. Sauté for a few minutes until the meat is mostly cooked (about 5 minutes) and add the mushrooms (you might need a bit more oil) toss and continue to cook until the mushrooms are golden.

2. Add the fennel and chilies and cook until the meat gets crispy and dark brown and the pan juices begin to caramelize.

3. Stir in the oregano and white wine, reducing by about half. Add the lemon zest and juice and turn down the heat while you prepare your pasta – as per package instructions.

4. Once the pasta is al dente, drain (reserving about ¾ cup of pasta water) and add to the skillet. Toss and transfer to a serving bowl. Add the cheese and parsley and (this is when you might want to add a bit of the pasta water) taste for seasoning.

Serve with a simple salad

Spicy Shrimp Salad

Spicy Shrimp Salad
Inspired by a recipe at Jamie' Ministry of Food "Pass It On"

Printable Recipe

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 5 minutes

Serves: 2

Ingredients:
12 large or extra large shrimp, peeled and deveined
Marinade:
a thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger
2 cloves of garlic
½ a fresh red chilli
2 spring onions
a small bunch of fresh coriander
2 tablespoons sesame oil
Juice of 1 lime
Salad:
2 heaping handfuls of mixed greens (this bunch from the market even had some edible flowers)
2 tbsp fresh herbs, coarsely chopped (this time I used cilantro, mint and parsley)
Dressing:
¼ cup apple cider vinegar
1 heaping tsp honey Dijon mustard
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
Freshly ground pepper

Directions:
1. Combine all the marinade ingredients in a food processor with a steel blade and pulse until a puree if formed.

2. Place the prepared shrimp in a bowl and toss with the marinade. Allow to sit at room temperature while you prepare the salad and dressing. Or refrigerate for no more than 20 minutes – the shrimp will “cook” otherwise and be rubbery.

3. Combine all the dressing ingredients in a small bowl and set aside until just before serving.

4. Combine all the salad ingredients in a large serving bowl and set aside.

5. Heat a non-stick skillet over high heat and once it’s very hot add a little oil and then toss in the shrimp and marinade. Sauté until the shrimp turn pink (just a couple of minutes should do). Remove from heat.

6. Toss the salad with the dressing, add the shrimp and any marinade that’s left in the pan (shouldn’t be more than a tablespoon), toss and serve.

Another option is to toss the sauteed shrimp with your favorite pasta....hot or cold = awesome.

Cambodian Style Ginger & Honey Ribs

Cambodian-style Ginger & Honey Ribs
Adapted from Bon Appetit , July, 2009

Printable Recipe

Prep time: 30 minutes
Marinating time: 4-24 hours in fridge
Roasting time: 45 minutes

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients:
2 racks (2¼ - 2½ lb/2kg) baby back pork ribs, cut into 6-7 rib sections (Note: I cut them into individual ribs) (Note2: if using beef ribs, I would definitely separate them – they are tougher and require more time on slower heat)
Marinade:
¼ cup fresh ginger, peeled
6 garlic cloves, peeled
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp coarse sea or kosher salt
1 tbsp freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp Asian fish sauce (nuoc nam or nam pla)
Dipping Sauce:
6 tsp coarse salt
6 tsp ground pepper
3 large limes, halved

Directions:(actually, the recipe is for BBQ – medium heat, uncovered 8 minutes per side – but I have no BBQ, so…)
1. Using a food processor is the easiest way, just add all the marinade ingredients in the bowl, using the steel blade, and pulse until you have thin paste. Or…finely chop or grate the ginger and garlic and then add the other ingredients and mix well

To prepare the ribs…
2. Remove the thin silver membrane on the back of the ribs. You’ll need a sharp tipped knife and paper towels or something on your hands as this membrane is slippery and challenging to remove…or you could forget about it altogether.

3. Cut the ribs into appropriate portion size (using the 6-7 ribs for BBQing, single ribs for oven roasting) and rub on all sides with the marinade. Place in a container large enough to hold all the ribs (zip lock baggies work well) and pour over any additional marinade.

4. Remove the ribs from the fridge, 30 minutes before cooking to bring them to room temperature. Preheat oven to 375°F/190°C (Note: 350°F/180°C for beef ribs and cook them for 1- 1½ hours; BBQ to medium heat).

For indoor cooking, prepare a rimmed baking sheet – line with foil and place a rack over the surface so that fat will drip away from the ribs. Place the ribs in a single layer on the rack/grill. Cook until ready – crispy on the outside and no sign of pink close to the bone: BBQ – 8 minutes per side; oven: pork - 45 minutes or so; beef -1 hour or so.

5. Once the ribs are cooked, transfer them to a serving platter and (if they aren’t already) cut them into single ribs.

For dipping sauce:
6. In a small bowl, combine salt & pepper with lime juice. I like to separate into individual dipping bowls and place them at each setting or on the plate itself.

Serving suggestion: small single ribs are lovely as an appetizer or "munching" party food (have lots of napkins and place to put munched on bones

Another serving idea: served with cole slaw (one), (two), (three) or (four) and lime roasted sweet potato or thyme roasted sweet potato wedges.

Jamie Oliver's "Pass it On" Quick Salmon Tikka

Jamie Oliver’s “Pass it on” Salmon Tikka
From Jamie' Ministry of Food "Pass It On"

Printable Recipe

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes

Serves: 2

Ingredients:
2 naan breads
1 fresh red chilli,
½ a cucumber,
1 lemon
4 tablespoons natural yoghurt
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
a few sprigs of fresh coriander, chopped
2 x 200g salmon fillets, skin on, scaled and bones removed
1 heaped tablespoon Patak’s tandoori curry paste (I used more)

Jaimie’s Directions:
1. Preheat your oven to 110°C/225°F/gas ¼

2. Pop your naan breads into the oven to warm through

3. Halve, deseed and finely chop your chilli

4. Peel and halve your cucumber lengthways, then use a spoon to scoop out and discard the seeds

5. Roughly chop the cucumber and put most of it into a bowl

6. Halve your lemon and squeeze the juice from one half into the bowl

7. Add the yoghurt, a pinch of salt and pepper and half the chopped chilli

8. Pick the coriander leaves and put to one side
To cook your salmon
1. Slice each salmon fillet across lengthways into three ½ inch/1.5cm wide slices

2. Spoon the heaped tablespoon of tandoori paste into a small dish, then use a pastry brush or the back of a spoon to smear the tandoori paste all over each piece (don’t dip your pastry brush into the jar!) (Like Jamie, I used my fingers to spread the paste and probably more like 2 heaping spoonfuls.

3. Heat a large frying pan over a high heat

4. Once hot, add a lug of olive oil, (like Jamie, I used a non stick pan and no oil at all) put the salmon into the pan and cook for about 1½ minutes on each side, until cooked through
To serve your salmon
1. Place a warmed naan bread on each plate
2. Top each one with a good dollop of cucumber yoghurt and 3 pieces of salmon
3. Scatter over a little of the reserved cucumber, chilli and coriander leaves and finish with a squeeze of lemon juice